Somewhere Only We Know
by ladyluck1668
Summary: Alice Gehabich is in an unhappy, arranged marriage with Klaus von Hertzon, who is gone much too often. Her dreadful routine lifestyle is changed when the sudden appearance of her old childhood lover appears. ShunxAlice, set in the Elizabethan era.
1. Chapter 1

_Somewhere Only We Know_

 _ladyluck1668_

 _._

 _"So why don't we go, somewhere only we know?"_

 _-Keane_

 _._

 **Chapter 1**

The slight breeze, whispering enticingly in the well-trimmed trees of the von Hertzon Manor garden that Sunday afternoon in July, reminded Alice all too much of a freedom that she lost.

Closing Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night', her chocolate brown eyes fluttered closed and she felt the breeze tickle her skin. She allowed a sad smile to cross her lips as she began to reminisce.

She knows that she should be grateful. Her marriage to Klaus von Hertzon, one of the most wealthy nobleman in her province of Wardington, should be good enough to her, but it wasn't. While Klaus was a gentleman, courteous and polite, Alice felt that that was all Klaus was. He was not a 'bad' husband, no. He certainly was not one of those husbands that she saw in her 18 years of life as a commoner, who drank or gambled away all of their money. And he was certainly not one of those married husbands who had an affair with other women. No, Klaus was quite the opposite of that. He gave her everything that any young lady like herself could ever want: jewelry, money to send home to her family, a nice house to live in. He gave her every materialistic item that she could ever want, but the one thing that he could not give her was love.

While Alice knew that arranged marriages don't and won't result in loving marriages, she could only hope for one. But her one-year marriage with Klaus was tearing down her hopes of having a loving spouse. She knew that Klaus was the son of a wealthy businessman and would result in him being far away from home for some periods of time, but she wasn't prepared for the loneliness of it all. She had her library full of books and letters to write back to her family but she was alone. While she did have the servants, they made it very clear on the first day upon her arrival at the von Hertzon Manor as his wife that they were there to do their job and nothing else. And for the rare amount of time that Klaus was at home, he would spend it with his fellow businessmen and if they weren't available, he would then resort to the library, his nose stuck in a book. The two hardly spoke to each other, except for a few pleasantries and small conversation but other than that, they didn't speak to one another. It seemed to Alice that he only married her because of her natural beauty. While she was still a commoner, she was well-known for her natural beauty and sweet nature and somehow, the von Hertzon family must have heard much praise about her that she was sent to the von Hertzon Manor to meet the noble family. They had questioned and inspected her for nearly the entire afternoon upon her first arrival and the very next day, a formal letter written by Klaus asking for her hand in marriage was sent to the Gehabich family. The two married shortly after.

The orange-haired beauty shook her head, as if to clear away the sadness away, and opened her eyes. She got up from the marble bench that she was sitting on and bent down to reach for the Shakespearean book when a sudden rustle startled her. She froze and waited to listen. The rustling continued and it sounded as if it was nearing her.

"Wh-Who's there?" Alice stuttered out, as she lifted a hand to her slightly exposed collarbone.

The rustling seemed to stop for a moment and she supposed that it must have been a rabbit or a small animal of that sort. It wasn't until she was ready to leave the garden when a voice spoke up.

"Alice Gehabich?" A raspy baritone voice asked. The young woman stopped in her tracks. She heard the grass rustling as the footsteps of the intruder neared her. She desperately wanted to run, to move, but she was frozen. The footsteps stopped and Alice dared not turn around to meet the eyes of the intruder.

"Do you not know me, Alice Gehabich?" The voice repeated her name and she let out a shaky breath before she answered.

"I believe that you are mistaken, sir."

"I don't believe I am, madam."

"My name is not Alice Gehabich."

"Why, of course. A change due to...marriage. Three years ago, you were Alice Gehabich."

She knew that she could not ignore it forever, and with that, she turned around and found herself gazing back into a pair of hazel brown eyes.

"Shun..." She murmured.

He gave her a small smirk. "The very same."

For a moment, the two stood there in the garden staring at each other and Alice could feel that same enticing excitement of adventure that she had felt three years ago with him come rushing back to her. But she realized as a young woman, a wife, she had responsibilities and expectations that must be fulfilled. She closed her eyes and shook her head, as if trying to shake out her past.

"I told you to wait for me, Alice." Shun broke their silence with the elephant in the room.

"I-I couldn't Shun. You knew that." Alice swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Three years ago, we made a promise that no matter what happens, we'll always be together."

She sighed heavily. "We were thirteen at that time, young and childish. I didn't think that you would have waited-"

"But I did wait for you." Shun interrupted, his voice had an accusing tone to it, but his brown eyes told her that he was heartbroken. "The only thing that kept me through that wretched ninja training for all of those years was you. And when I finally come home, I come to a letter that you wrote a year ago while I was away saying that you are married."

"I'm-I'm so sorry." Was all she could muster out as she ran towards the manor. She heard him call out to her, but she didn't dare stop or turn around. When she was in the confides of the manor, she hurriedly closed the glass doors that led from the manor to the garden before she slumped unto the ground with flowing tears.

'This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real.' She chanted to herself, trying to will herself to believe that Shun Kazami, her childhood lover, was outside in her garden. But a peek through the silk curtains and well-cleaned glass showed the same boy that she fell in love with six years ago still in her garden staring back at her.

 **End of Chapter 1.**

 _Note: *cries while repeatedly slamming head against the table* WHY. AM. I. DOING. THIS. TO. MYSELF? Okay, so I made a poll asking which story you would like to be updated first and surprisingly, 'Somewhere Only We Know' got the most votes! There was a 3-way tie against 'Hauntingly Beautiful', 'Of Angels and Ninjas' and another story, so I will try my best to update soon. I know that this isn't technically an 'update', but I feel like it is. The last plot that I wrote for this story with the same title seemed horrific to me-lmao, this probably is horrific, too-and I couldn't figure out a why to write the plot out. Instead, I opted for this plot and I PROMISE that I will be sticking to it. This is set in the Elizabethan era-I still love the Victorian era, but I feel like a little change in eras would be fun-for anyone wondering. I hope that this isn't too horrific for you and please let me know if you prefer this plot more or the previous plot. I'll be back soon with an update on 'Hauntingly Beautiful' and 'Of Angels and Ninjas' so please wait for me~! *hugs you all*_


	2. Chapter 2

Before this chapter begins, here are some responses to your reviews:

 _Guest pretty pretty: AHH, I am such a terrible writer! I was hoping that the first chapter showed how regretful Shun felt when Alice left him, not vengeance! I'm so sorry about that! (つ﹏⊂)_

 _Cup of Violet Tea: Oh no, don't worry about it! I only wrote 2 chapters and nothing significant really happened in those chapters! Just a quick recap of the original though; Alice is hiding from Klaus since they're playing a game of hide-and-seek and a quick backstory that she had to marry Klaus in order to save her family from being close to poverty. She meets Shun who is a ninja and gives her his choker and leaves because he had robbed the von Hertzon manor. Chapter 2 was just about Shun and Alice hanging out in a forest where he showed her his tree carvings...wow...that was a pretty bad explanation. Well, Shun will definitely be a part of the von Hertzon life all right but it will be revealed in this chapter~! (・ωｰ)～'_

 _Innocent-Diamond: Oh, LOL, I've actually never had to study or compare the two different periods before actually! I just watch way too many period dramas and this along with Of Angels and Ninjas was was the result of it. It's been awhile since I've read Twelfth Night-the one and only time I read it was during middle school and that was YEARS ago! But no, the Shakespearean work has nothing to do with the story and yep, Shun's full of surprises huh? __(〃ω〃)_

 _SoapyDopey: Thank you for reviewing!_ _（≧ｙ≦＊）_

P.S. I changed a tiny bit of the first chapter, so Shun and Alice had their encounter with each other on a Sunday afternoon, not in the morning. Just wanted to throw that in here so nobody gets confused with the time difference/change. Also, I changed a small portion regarding Alice's marriage to Klaus as well as the timeline for Alice and Shun. While it is still a marriage that Alice didn't want, Klaus finds out about Alice through the town praising her for her natural beauty. His family then brings her up to his manor to inspect her before asking for her hand in marriage the next day via letter. Also, Shun and Alice saw each other three years ago instead of six.

 **Chapter 2**

"And whatever is the matter now, Mrs. von Hertzon?" Alice looked up with expressionless eyes to find the vicious sea green eyes of the von Hertzon's housekeeper, Mylene Farrow, boring into her own. Stumbling to get up, the young redhead woman dusted off the back of the rosy pink silk of her ballgown as she turned to address the rather cruel bluenette. She never really did like Mylene, for the housekeeper seemed so evil and sadistic to the other servants but what could she do? Mylene had been working for Klaus for quite some time and he had seemed to take a liking to the bluenette. 'Strict and straight to the point' he had commented offhandedly on several occasions.

"I do apologize, Miss Farrow. I was lost in thought was all." Alice replied politely. It seemed that it wasn't enough for the housekeeper as she gave the younger female a critical glance once more before turning her head in what seemed to be frustration.

"Well then, milady, if you are to be lost in thought once more, kindly refrain from slumping against the glass doors. It isn't becoming of a noble lady, especially one that is married into the great von Hertzon name, and the doors were just cleaned yesterday afternoon." Before Alice could reply back, Mylene had already stalked off, the navy blue cape of her dress following her elegantly as her high heeled shoes clicked and clacked against the dark hardwood floors of the mansion. In her uniform, Alice thought absentmindedly, she looked more like a dictator than just a mere housekeeper. Although she had lived in the von Hertzon Manor for more than a year now, she still wasn't used to the fact that there was a housekeeper controlling nearly every asset of the house. Because the Gehabich household was rather small, the family didn't need a housekeeper or any servants at all, but she supposed, as she sighed, that that was another thing that she should try to adapt to.

"Oh, Mrs. von Hertzon! I have been looking all over for you!" Alice turned around to find Soon, a housemaid, hurrying down the giant spiraling staircase.

"Oh, Soon. What is it?" The redhead forced a polite smile as the housemaid finally reached her.

"Mr. von Hertzon just sent a telegram saying that he is unable to have dinner with you tonight, ma'am. The Vestal customers are being such a hassle to deal with, as expected of them. He says that he should arrive no later at home by eleven thirty tonight, but I am sure that you should expect to find him tomorrow morning at breakfast-time."

An unexpected sigh left the young Mrs. von Hertzon's lips. "Of course he wouldn't be here on Sunday. Or any day for that matter." Her chocolate eyes widened in horror at the words that escaped her lips.

A sympathetic smile graced the brunette's lips. "I know how difficult that must be, milady. But milord is working hard to provide for any comfort that you may want as well as to uphold his family name."

"I would give up the unnecessary luxuries and a mansion this large if that meant that I could spend more time with him." The redhead female glanced around the manor with expressionless eyes. An unspoken "And finally get to know him" was left hanging in the air but neither woman ventured on that topic.

Soon smiled gently at her once more. "I understand your concerns, milady, but it is what it is." She glanced up at the grandfather clock, an antique that had been, according to Klaus, passed down for nearly five generations. "Oh, dear me! It is nearing five o'clock! Do go to the dining table, milady, for supper is approaching. Cook will be very displeased if you are not yet at the dining table!" The housemaid ushered her in the direction towards the dining table. The redhead female was in no emotional state to eat but obeyed the brunette.

"Is Cook that distressed?" Alice asked, following Soon in the direction towards the dining area.

"Oh, well, not exactly. Supper is simply some boiled lamb chops with asparagus and radishes. You understand how Cook is, milady; always wanting to keep busy."

Supper was wonderful, as per usual, and although the young Mrs. von Hertzon did not have much of an appetite, she somewhat forced herself to finish her plate of food. She could sense Cook's displeasure of her refusing her second plate of food-the middle-aged woman had mentioned to her one too many times about how thin she was looking-but accepted the slice of peach pie that was offered. That, of course, was delicious, for Alice was never able to afford such luxuries. Before she was married to Klaus, her family was not very well-off and could not afford the foods that she could currently eat now. Her diet back then consisted mostly of an abundance of vegetables, fish, and white meat. Fruit was almost always out of the question. If her family was lucky, they were able to find or buy fruits such as apples and berries, which were always cherished. She didn't know that such fruits and meats existed until she lived in the von Hertzon Manor!

With dinner ending at around 6 o'clock, Alice spent the rest of the evening in the library, immersed in the different worlds that each book resided in. It was only until a maid, who had entered the library to tidy up the room, noticed the redhead intensely reading and gently reminded her that 9 o'clock was fast approaching. Thanking the maid, the young noble rose from her seat and gracefully walked towards her bedroom, intent on preparing for bed.

...

Alice sighed tiredly as she finished combing her hair. She was mentally and emotionally exhausted and couldn't wait until she could succumb to the comfort of sleep. She sighed once more at the thought of tomorrow being a continuation of the mundane routine of her life but quickly reminded herself that her situation could have been worse. Just as she was about to blow out the candle, what sounded like a melodic wind caught her attention and her eyes widened in realization. The sound was a familiar stranger to her and she swallowed thickly as she steadied the candle in her hand. Heart in her lungs, she fastened her pace as she rushed to close the doors that led to the entry of her balcony to block off the whistling melody of an all-too familiar leaf song. Blowing out the candle, Alice crawled into bed, where the silk sheets and plush pillow did little to calm down her racing heart. It took her hours before she could finally sleep, not without thoughts of a certain raven-haired ninja lingering as she drifted off to sleep.

...

"Good morning, Alice. I apologize for my absence yesterday. The customers were troublesome as ever." The sight of her silver-haired husband seated on one end of the long table whilst reading the newspaper and eating breakfast welcomed the redhead female as she took her seat across from him.

"Good morning, Klaus. I hope they weren't too much trouble for you." She answered politely as a maid set her breakfast in front of her. Thanking the maid, the young wife delicately picked up her fork and began eating her scrambled eggs with a bit of bread and butter.

"Ah well, the Vestals were the most troublesome of them all, but nothing is too much trouble for me." He bragged slightly. "How was your day?"

"Quite...calming. I simply enjoyed a book in the garden in the morning and right after dinner." Was her simple reply.

"My dear wife," Klaus began and Alice wanted to shudder in disgust, "you know how I disapprove of you reading so much. You really must go out more. I've heard that the noble ladies enjoy watching plays and the such. You could go if you would like. I've heard the most spectacular reviews from William Shakespeare's plays."

"Thank you, but I enjoy reading more than I do watching the play itself." She replied courteously as she raised her porcelain tea cup.

He sighed. "I suppose I cannot change that then, but I suppose the ladies at the ball this Friday shall convince you otherwise."

"A ball on Friday?" Alice nearly choked on her chamomile tea and was grateful that a coughing fit had yet to be ensued. She didn't know how her husband or Mylene would take that.

"Yes, there is a ball on Friday. Mr. Barodius, my boss, is hosting a ball to catch the attention of future customers. We must attend." Klaus said the last sentence with such firm determination.

"Oh my...I did forget." How she could forget something that had the possibility of making her mundane routine more 'exciting' was beyond her. "I apologize...I suppose I could wear the pastel yellow ballgown..." She mused as she took a bite of her bread and butter.

"You would look very graceful in it. All of the gentlemen there would take a liking to you." He smiled and she tried to swallow down her sigh with a forced smile. Of course he would want her there just to reel in potential customers with her appearance. "I must take my leave now, but do tell Chris or Soon to iron the dress soon. Friday will come before you know it."

...

True to his word, Friday did indeed came rather quickly and before she knew it, Alice was in her silk, pastel yellow ballgown with her arms interlocked with Klaus's. And once again, Klaus was correct for saying that the gentlemen attending the ball would take a liking to her...albeit rather quickly. She was introduced and shook hands with more people than she could remember and repeated the same mundane pleasantries that she did for everyone there. For somebody with thoughts of running away from the bothersome ball every minute or so, Alice found that she was doing quite well. She managed to smile and laugh at the right times and continue on with a conversation. The people there were insufferable, she won't lie, but she supposed that it was much better than staying at home.

A glass of champagne was extended towards her, and she took it with a polite smile as Klaus locked an arm with one of her arms. "You are doing quite wonderful. The gentlemen and their wives had nothing but praise for you. Come, there is someone you must meet." He led her towards a group of men holding wine glasses somewhat crowded around in a corner of the ballroom. She supposed that she would have done the same if she were at an event this boring.

"Gentlemen, I suppose that most of you have met my lovely wife, all except for you, sir." And as if on cue, a raven-haired male with shoulder-length hair that had his back to her slowly turned around and Alice could feel her breath caught in her lungs. Oh God no, please not him-

"Alice, may I introduce you to Mr. Shun Kazami?"

The world seemed to fade away as all she could see was Shun's hazel brown eyes locked with her own chocolate brown eyes. She could only stare in shock as his hand reached out towards her own hand.

"Mrs. von Hertzon, _Alice,"_ A subtle smirk graced his lips and with that, he gently brought up her hand and pressed a soft kiss on her hand. She swallowed thickly and was unable to retrieve her hand back from the other male and it seemed like he had no intention to do give her back her hand as well.

"Mr. Kazami had just recently arrived back here in Wardington from New Vestroia as well as...oh dear, it seems as if I have forgotten. Would you mind telling my wife of your travels?" Alice's short reverie was broken as Klaus spoke, all the while an arm was holding Alice by her small waist. The redhead female noticed the raven-haired male's eyes staring intensely at her husband's arm around her waist but he fixed his composure and forced a polite smile, slowly letting go of her hand.

"I do not mind at all, Mr. von Hertzon. It is true that I did arrive back from New Vestroia, but I also came back from Neathia and stayed briefly in Bayview." He reminded the von Hertzon male.

"Yes yes, of course. What makes you come back here to Wardington? Surely your time in New Vestroia and Neathia were quite memorable." Klaus sipped on his wine.

"I do admit that my time in New Vestroia and Neathia were memorable, yes, but I was born here in Wardington and it was time for me to come back home. There is the matter of some unfinished business that I must take care of." Shun looked directly at Alice and she nearly dropped her glass of champagne.

"Business? What kind of-"

"Oh, my dear Mrs. von Hertzon! Is that you?" Klaus' inquiry was interrupted as an elderly lady approached the group. "Why, I almost didn't recognize you! What are you doing here, listening to these men talk about business and the such?! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Mr. von Hertzon! A young lady must be bored to death listening to such unnecessary details!"

"I do apologize, Mrs. Fairfax. I simply wanted to introduce Alice to my new client, that is all." Klaus replied respectfully to the older woman. The younger female silently thanked Klaus for saying the name of older woman, for she had completely forgotten her name.

"Well, business and family are two completely different things, Mr. von Hertzon. Do you mind if I steal Mrs. von Hertzon for a bit, Mr. von Hertzon? There is a new play that William Shakespeare is set to perform soon and the other ladies and I would love to have Mrs. von Hertzon attend with us." Mrs. Fairfax prompted.

"I do not mind, Mrs. Fairfax." The silver-haired male replied courteously as he removed his arm from around his wife's waist. The younger female was grateful for the elderly lady for whisking her away from both her husband and Shun.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. von Hertzon." Alice turned back to find Shun bowing slightly at her, his eyes still never leaving her.

She gave him a small curtsy in response. "Yes, thank you, Mr. Kazami. It was nice to meet your acquaintance as well." With that, she composed herself as she trailed behind Mrs. Fairfax.

While the older lady did somewhat save her from her husband and a ghost of her past, she failed to save her from boredom. The group of ladies that Mrs. Fairfax had introduced Alice to where all older ladies, none of which are remotely near Alice's age. They were nice enough, she supposed, as they gossiped about the other women at the party and expressed their excitement for Shakespeare's next play; Much Ado About Nothing. The younger female hadn't yet read or seen the Shakespearean play but half-heartedly promised that she would join them at the theater when the play would be performed. After approximately twenty minutes into the messy conversation, Alice excused herself, saying that she needed to freshen up. The ladies nodded absentmindedly and told her to hurry back.

Walking outside of the manor, Alice had abandoned looking for a bathroom and instead decided to explore the garden of Mr. Barodius' manor. The garden was nicely kept, she noticed, but it seemed as if the man was quite vain. She had already encountered two statues of the man in the span of a short walk and the trees and bushes were shaped to what seemed like Mr. Barodius. She shook her head; she had seen worse from other nobles, so she supposed she could reason why Mr. Barodius would decorate his garden like that.

"So this is where you were hiding."

Alice gasped in surprise as she spun around to find Shun leaning against a statue of Mr. Barodius with his arms crossed. She took a deep breath, attempting to compose herself, as she responded back.

"I...I just needed some fresh air." Was her curt reply. A breeze blew by and she shivered, bringing her hands up to her arms and rubbing them slightly to produce a slight amount of heat.

"Here." The redhead looked up to find Shun taking off his green suit jacket and draping it over her shoulder.

"Thank you." She answered softly as she reached to pull the jacket closer to her. At that same moment, his hands were slowly falling back down towards his side and their fingers gently brushed past one another's. She looked up to find him staring back at her and in that moment, she swore that they were still sixteen with promises of love and adventure.

"Alice." His voice tore her from her daydream as she snapped back to reality. "Do you love him?"

"Shun, I...there was no choice. Grandfather was sick and my family was slowly succumbing to poverty-"

"That is not what I asked. Do you love him?" He repeated once more as he gently, yet firmly took her hands in his.

She sighed deeply. "I-"

"Alice, darling, is that you?" Klaus' voice startled Alice as she tore her hands from Shun's grip. The redhead thought that she heard an angry growl coming from the raven-haired male but she had little time to worry about it as he moved back half a foot away from her as Klaus neared the two of them.

"What are you doing out here, Ali-Oh, Mr. Kazami, I didn't notice you." The silver-haired male looked quite surprised as he noticed the two childhood lovers.

"I needed some fresh air and I had ran into Mrs. von Hertzon on the way here. It was getting quite breezy and well, I offered her my suit jacket." Shun answered for the both of them.

"That is very kind of you, Mr. Kazami, thank you. Here is my jacket, Alice. You may have your jacket back, Mr. Kazami." Her husband took off his jacket but not before taking Shun's jacket from off of her shoulders and placing it on her shoulders. "It is getting quite late, Mr. Kazami and we must be heading home. I suppose we will see you sometime soon, yes?"

The raven-haired male nodded. "Yes, of course. I bid you a goodnight, Mr. von Hertzon, Mrs. von Hertzon." He stared right at her as the words left his lips.

...

"Mr. Kazami is such a mysterious man, don't you think so, Alice?" Klaus asked as he crossed his legs. The couple were in a horse-drawn-carriage back to the von Hertzon Manor, each sitting across from the other.

"How so?" She answered his question with her own instead.

"He told me that he spent much of his years in New Vestroia and in the palace of Neathia as one of Crown Princess Fabia's advisers. I am quite unsure about his occupation. He has a great amount of money that he is able to put in for investments, but I don't quite understand what he does to attain that money." The silver-haired male mused as he loosened his tie.

"That is quite mysterious." Alice nodded, keeping quiet on what she could only assume that Shun had been doing all those years.

"Well, that matters not. After all, we will be getting to see more of him two weeks from now." Klaus responded nonchalantly.

"W-What?" The redhead asked in shock.

"I invited him over for dinner at the manor two weeks from now. I hope you don't mind. I will be sure to inform Cook and Mylene about it tomorrow morning." He reassured her.

"N-No, of course not." She could barely make out. She barely got away with Shun today at the ball where there were hundreds of people. She didn't even want to think about how she would manage dinner with just him and Klaus two weeks from today. But, she mused slightly as she looked out the carriage window to gaze up at the illuminating full moon, it would be quite an adventure.

 **End of Chapter 2.**

 _Note: *blows a party horn*_ _(ᗒᗨᗕ) Chapter 2 is finally up after a near year-long hiatus, LOL! Because of the long wait for this story, I made this chapter *slightly* longer than what I usually update! I would like to apologize for the first chapter, since a lot of you seemed really confused about it, which I completely understand why. I had intended to make Shun's sudden appearance seem regretful and despairing that Alice left him to marry Klaus, not vengeful! Also! I wrote a small one-shot that is a sort of prequel to this story (LOL, shameless self promo) so if you'd like to check that out, it's called You'll Be In My Heart!_ _Anyways, please let me know what your thoughts on this second chapter and since summer is here, there will be a LOT more updates on most, if not all of all my stories! Until next time~!_

 _P.S. If any of you listen to J-Pop (Japanese pop music), what are some of your favorite songs and or artists? I have an idea for a Kusaki (Dan x Runo) modern AU! story and I was wondering if there were any J-Pop songs or any songs in general that you'd think would suit Dan's and or Runo's personalities. I mostly listen to K-Pop (Korean pop music) or Western artists, so I'd also like to broaden my music horizon as well~!_ _v(｡･･｡)_

 _P.P.S: I remember that there was an episode in Season 1 of Bakugan where Shun was playing/blowing on a leaf...if any of you happen to know what episode it is, please let me know~! I felt silly writing 'leaf song' since I had no idea what the proper term was!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Review Responses:_

 _Guest: I don't really see how that chapter had Gatsby vibes to it, but The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books! __(≧▽≦)_

 _Innocent-Diamond: I'd trust Mylene to get the job done but I don't expect her to be nice, LOL. Ooh, fanart~! I haven't seen that many good Shurisu fanart-one of the only ones that I like is the fanart used as the image for this story. Do you mind me asking you who the artist's username or the title of the art? LOL, Klaus is just dense; there's nothing going on. (〃ω〃)_

 _Guest pretty pretty: Oh wow! I actually didn't expect anyone to read the descriptions I wrote in my profile but thank you for taking the time to read it! I personally don't see the Gatsby vibes *yet* but I agree with you that Shun is a lot smarter than poor Gatsby on working with the black market. And thank you for answering my question~!_ _(*^^*)_

 _Cup of Violet Tea: It was no sweat! And yep, that's essentially it, LOL. I feel like most rich people are so rich that they have more money on their hands than they know what to do with, so what better way than to throw a party? Uh...I was hoping that the 'unfinished business' part was implied that Alice was his 'unfinished business' (my one-shot You'll Be in My Heart shows that Alice and Shun, at sixteen, made a promised each other that when Shun came back from ninja-training with his grandfather, they would run away together. That didn't happen because Alice married Klaus). Hopefully it makes sense!_ _⊙﹏⊙_

 _cherry-tree-of-life: Yeah, Mylene's just a cruel and rude person, but who knows? Maybe she'll turn out all right in the end? What Shun has been up to for the last 2 years will be revealed later as the story continues but let's just say that it's a bit...unusual. Thank you for the recommendation! The song sounds lively and upbeat~!_ _(｡･ω･｡)_

 **Chapter 3**

"Thank you very much for coming to tea, Julie! I haven't seen you at all these days!" Alice smiled fondly at her female companion in front of her. Nearly a week or so after the ball, she and Julie Makimoto, the daughter of a rather wealthy and prosperous merchant, agreed to have the silver-haired female come over to the von Hertzon Manor for some tea and to just catch up on the recent events happening in their life. Julie and Klaus were good friends for most of their lives so when Alice married Klaus and came to live in the manor, Julie was one of the first people to come and visit her. Out of all of the nobles that she met, the redhead female liked Julie the best because not only was she around her age and it was much easier to get along with her than say the older ladies, but the younger female was always so happy and cheerful. Even through her worst days, Alice always felt better whenever Julie would come and visit her, thus why she adored her visits to the von Hertzon Manor.

"Oh, I've missed you so much, Alice, and there's so much I've got to tell you! But enough about me for a moment! How was the ball that Mr. Barodius hosted? How I do wish I was there! If only Daisy had arrived back home earlier, Father and I would have accompanied you there." The tanned female lamented, pouring herself another cup of chamomile tea.

"It was...bearable, I suppose, but I do wish you were there." Was her honest reply as she bit into a tea cake. She would never say it in front of Julie, but the only reason why she would want Julie there-besides making the night much more bearable-was the fact that if Julie was there, she would, perhaps, have avoided a certain someone completely that night.

"Were there any handsome and single men there?" Julie goggled at her.

Alice had to laugh a bit. "Hardly." The silver-haired female is, as of right now, still single. And while Alice dreaded every ball or event that she was forced to attend to, Julie would adore them, mostly because it was a perfect opportunity for her to find a new suitor. "But whatever happened to Billy?"

The silver-haired female let out a dramatic and rather exaggerated gasp. "Please do not mention his name ever again, Alice! Billy left to some place God-knows-where and hasn't contacted me at all! I am so over that boy!" The tanned female huffed as she took another tea cake from the tea platter. The redhead female idly pondered on the thought that she and Julie were somewhat in the same boat in which their lovers had up and left them without saying very much. "But surely there must at least be one bachelor! The ball cannot just be full of older men!" She insisted.

"Well..." Mrs. von Hertzon thought for a moment before the image of a raven-haired male with bored hazel eyes dressed in green crossed her mind. A gasp escaped her.

"Well? Where was there anyone or not?" Miss Makimoto asked impatiently.

"Well...there was...one bachelor...that I could remember." Alice replied, meekly.

"Yes! I knew it! See, Alice? There couldn't possibly be just older men at the ball. Now, describe him for me." The other female smiled triumphantly before she directed her attention to the redhead female.

"Oh...well, he...doesn't talk very much, so much so that Klaus is unable to identify what his occupation is." She admitted after some difficulty. She couldn't find any words to use to truly describe Shun but she supposed that the piece of information she gave Julie was satisfactory enough.

Julie was silent for a moment, possibly thinking about the piece of information that Alice just gave her. "He seems like a secretive and mysterious person. I suppose that having a few secrets and mysteries to a person keeps the courtship interesting, won't you say so, Alice? And I'd rather have a man who doesn't talk very much than one who talks entirely too much. Billy talked far too much and now, all of a sudden, he's stopped talking completely!" She huffed as she angrily dumped two lumps of sugar into her tea. "Is he handsome?" Ah, there it is. The most important question that Julie always asked whenever it came to potential suitors.

"Yes." Alice might as well answer her friend truthfully.

"Very?"

"Dangerously handsome." Which was the truth. Shun was both dangerous to her current adaptation of her new lifestyle _and_ handsome.

Julie squealed excitedly. "Oh, a handsome and mysterious man! Oh, now I really wish that I was there! But how does he look like, Alice?"

The redhead female paused for a moment before she spoke once more. "Well...he has a rather sharp jaw and his skin is rather olive. And...he is quite tall and his arms and legs are quite strong. He is rather fit but not overly muscular."

"Do go on." Julie was interested.

"He has the blackest hair that I ever saw...and it was quite long for a man, for it is shoulder-length. Oh, and his eyes..." At this point, Alice seemed to have forgotten about her female companion next to her and looked past the garden wistfully. "They were a beautiful hazel shade and if you looked at him long enough...you could lose yourself in his eyes."

"Oh, Alice, I absolutely _must_ meet him." The redhead was rudely snapped out of her thoughts when the silver-haired female sitting across from her reached over and grabbed her hand. "He sounds simply magical." As those words left Julie's lips, Alice couldn't help but glare at the happy and unsuspecting female.

The door to the garden creaked open and out stepped Klaus. "Oh, Julie! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't know that you came here to visit!" The silver-haired male greeted politely at his acquaintance as he approached the two seating women.

"Oh, Klaus! Alice was just telling me of one of the bachelors at Mr. Barodius' ball! I suppose that you must know more about him than Alice does." She had the urge to correct Julie that she in fact, knew more about Shun than Klaus could ever know. After all, she was in love with him for five years, not Klaus.

His eyebrows furrowed in thought. "A bachelor at Mr. Barodius' ball? There were very few that I can think of right now...but the one that stood out to me the most is Mr. Kazami-"

"Oh, is that him, Alice?" The silver-haired female squealed once again in excitement. But before Alice could even answer, she spoke again. "Oh, how exciting! And I suppose that you have reeled him in as a client, haven't you, Klaus?"

"But of course. Although I couldn't have done it on my own. Alice, in the very short time that she met Mr. Kazami, managed to win him over that he became my client! He even recommended me to a few of his friends as well!" The silver-haired male beamed proudly. "He is coming to the manor this Friday evening for dinner-"

Klaus was unable to finish his sentence, due to Julie's squealing. "This Friday?! Oh, that sounds absolutely wonderful! Klaus, do you think, if by any chance, that I may come to the dinner as well? I would very much like to meet him." She batted her blue eyes flirtatiously, coaxing him to say 'yes'.

Having been friends with Julie for a long time, he simply laughed it off. "I'm afraid you can't come this time, Julie. But if he is interested to another invitation, I will be sure to invite you as well."

The silver-haired female squealed in delight once more. "Oh, isn't that amazing, Alice? Oh, I do hope that he agrees to another dinner or something of that sort! I simply cannot wait to meet him."

As the younger female gushed about the raven-haired male to her husband, Alice remained silent. Just the thought of a bubbly and loud Julie clinging onto the arm of a stoic and quiet Shun made her want to puke. She couldn't even imagine what her reaction would be like if the two of them did actually meet.

"Oh my, it's nearing five o'clock! I've had so much fun that I forgot about the time! I must be going back home; dinner is almost ready." The younger female gasped as she looked down at her pocket watch.

"You could always stay for dinner, Julie. I am sure that Cook and Mylene wouldn't mind it." Klaus offered.

Julie shook her head. "Thank you very much for your offer, Klaus, but I'm sure that Father would want me home for dinner. After all, Daisy had just arrived here from Bakugan Valley and we haven't had a proper family dinner in so long."

The visit ended with Julie and Alice making plans to visit each other more often and to the redhead's discomfort, the silver-haired female gushed more about wanting to meet Mr. Kazami. She would never admit it aloud, but Mrs. von Hertzon was glad that her younger friend was finally going home. She didn't know how much more of Julie's swooning over Shun if the visit was extended. Being the gentleman he was, Klaus escorted Julie back home in one of their carriages with the two females waving good-bye to each other until it disappeared out of her sight. Sighing, Alice made her way back to the von Hertzon Manor to get ready for dinner.

She would see Shun once again on Friday, as it was three days away. And much to her own surprise, she couldn't wait.

 **End of Chapter 3.**

 _Note: Whoo! It didn't take me nearly a year to update this story again, haha! And I know what you're all thinking: 'Where's Shun?!' I thought that Alice was a bit distressed/stressed about Shun's appearance at the ball in the last chapter and she needed a break...and who's a better person than Julie! If you've kept up with Of Angels and Ninjas, you'll notice that Julie and Alice had a tea party but unlike that story, Julie and Alice's tea party gave Alice more stress than anything, LOL. Shun will be in the next chapter, I promise you that. I hope I did a decent job at portraying a jealous Alice-probably not, LOL-but it's pretty hard to do that, especially since I can't imagine Alice being jealous. Anyways, please review your thoughts on this third chapter and I will see you soon in the next chapter~! __(・ωｰ)～_


	4. Chapter 4

_Review Responses:_

 _Guest pretty pretty: Julie was pretty 'boy-crazy', if you will, during the first season of the anime, so I was trying to portray that, especially since she is still single. I think I mentioned somewhere in the beginning of the other chapter that Klaus and Julie were childhood friends? If not, then I am so sorry! They are childhood friends and since Klaus married Alice, Julie, would of course, befriend Alice! Billy's whereabouts will be mentioned later on in the story so please look forward for that! Oh no! I wish I made it clearer, but the reason why Klaus didn't want Julie there was because Shun is Klaus' new client and he doesn't want Julie to scare him away, LOL. Ah, one of your ideas about the dinner scene is slightly correct to what this next chapter holds, so please stay tuned for it~!（＞ｙ＜）_

 _cherry-tree-of-life: Ahaha, now that's something that I'd like to see; Julie annoying Mylene (unknowingly or not) and Mylene trying to endure it because it's rude to snap at someone of a higher social ranking than you. I'll see if I can squeeze that in in any future chapters! Oh, thank you for reminding me about Shun and Klaus collaborating! I never really explained what Klaus' job was! Klaus is a CEO or the head of his father's business firm and like most businessmen, wants to snatch the most beneficial and wealthiest customers that he can and Shun meets the criteria. （・ｗ・）_

 _Innocent-Diamond: Ooh, thank you for the info on the fanart~! Your conspiracy theory isn't correct, but I appreciate your courage to post it as well as coming up with the idea~! Haha, the best part of any dinner scene, regarding the fact of whether or not if the is tension between two people, is the food! I had a lot of fun doing some research on the food even though it made me hungry, LOL. (〃∀〃)ゞ_

 _Cup of Violet Tea: Ahaha, I know right?! But you know, the heart wants what it wants. Um...there are no actual schemes, although if you stretch your imagination, you could see that Shun is 'scheming' against Klaus. Haha, let's find out what the food is in this chapter~!_ _(๑°⌓°๑)_

 _MagicxMusicxMelody: Huh, I guess I never thought about it that way. With your views, I can definitely see how this story is a bit similar to The Great Gatsby! LOL, it isn't weird; I think it's a very Julie thing to do to seek out Shun's appearance. The olive skin tone is used to describe people living in the Mediterranean, Asian, or South American regions...according to Wikipedia. I'm no skin tone expert, too. __ヽ(~～~ )ノ_

 **Chapter 4**

"This is getting ridiculous." Alice mumbled under her breath as she hung yet another ballgown back in her closet. It was Friday afternoon and it was 5:30, which meant that Shun would be coming to the mansion for dinner in another hour and a half from then. The young Mrs. von Hertzon figured that she could run a bath, pick a dress, and get her hair done in approximately forty-five minutes with some time to spare. It seemed that it was not the case. While she did finish her bath in decent time, she found that she was having trouble just _choosing_ a dress for the dinner. She had tried on five gowns before dismissing all of them and had scanned her entire closet nearly three times. She started her preparation at 4:30 and nearly an hour later, she is standing in her undergarments in front of her closet madly going through each dress she owned and her hair wasn't even done yet.

"I can't believe this...I've never cared about what I wore before!" She sighed exasperatedly as she went through her entire closet once more. Alice was not one for fashion or prettying herself as say, Julie. She would usually reach into her closet and grabbed whatever she found comfortable. It surprised her greatly that she was actually putting in effort in her appearance.

"This is because of him." Alice sighed deeply as she allowed herself to slump onto the floor. She's a married woman, for goodness' sake, and here he was, making her feel like a giddy girl looking for the perfect outfit to wear. She could feel her heart drop to her stomach at the memory of a thirteen-year-old Alice who would wear her best dress-or the dress that wasn't as dirty or raggedy as the rest-every time she would see him. She violently shook her head to clear those thoughts before collecting herself.

"Come on, let's just pick a dress and stick with it." She mumbled to herself as she settled on a pale green dress with a white laced-collar. Sensing that time was quickly running out, she haphazardly shimmied her way into her dress before running a comb through her hair and pinned it so that her hair wouldn't get in the way. She glanced at her vanity mirror one last time to confirm that she looked decently presentable before dashing out of her room and running as fast as she could down the stairs in her rather tight dress and high heels.

"Ah, Alice, you're just in time! Mr. Kazami's carriage just arrived. Now don't you just look lovely?" The redhead's pace halted to a walk as she reached the bottom of the stairs, where her husband was waiting at the end of the spiraling stairs. Klaus looked rather dashing in his navy blue suit as he extended a white, gloved hand towards her. She nodded a thanks as she accepted it, stepping down the last step of the stairs and stood next to her husband at the sound of someone knocking at the door. Wiping her suddenly sweaty hands on her dress, Alice pretended to be deeply interested in the porcelain vase that sat atop of their mahogany coffee table as Mylene opened the door, no doubtedly revealing Shun.

"Ah, Mr. Kazami. Thank you again for coming to dinner. I hope it didn't take you that long to get here." Klaus smiled politely, making his way towards said male as the raven-haired male entered the house.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. von Hertzon." They shook hands and as soon as they pulled their hands away, Shun's attention was immediately on hers. "Mrs. von Hertzon." His hazel eyes shone mischievously before he bowed towards her.

"Mr. Kazami." Was her response as she dropped into a polite curtsy. As she looked up, she finally noticed that he was wearing a pale olive green suit that was quite similar to what he wore when she last saw him. She quickly glanced down at her own dress and her cheeks slowly grew hot as she realized that their outfits were-

"Oh, I didn't know that the color green is coming back into style. Perhaps I should have the seamstress come over to make me an outfit to match the both of you." Klaus joked pleasantly as he looked over his wife and his client's choice of color for their outfits.

The raven-haired male forced a polite smile. "I am flattered, Mr. von Hertzon, but I don't think green will suit you very well. Mrs. von Hertzon, on the other hand, looks graceful in the color."

The older male laughed airily. "Oh of course. Alice looks darling in any color. But I didn't invite you for dinner to critic what colors suit me best, Mr. Kazami. If you would follow me, I believe Cook has dinner waiting for us."

The dining table that usually had two chairs seated at either end now housed three chairs. One chair remained at one end of the table while the other two chairs were placed to the right-hand side of the first chair. Because he was the head of the house, Klaus nearly immediately claimed the chair at the end of the table. That left, Alice silently dreaded, her to sit next to Shun. While she had originally planned to take the first chair to Klaus' right, her husband was offering for the raven-haired male to take that seat. He had insisted that it would be easier for both Shun and him to converse. With no other choice, the redhead female came to terms with sitting awfully close to her childhood lover. It didn't help the butterflies in her stomach and the pounding of her heart when the rather stoic male pulled out her chair for her instead of her husband.

Dinner was, to say the least, delicious. The dishes came one at a time, with each dish being more appetizing than the last. A creamy soup comprised of bits of deer, turnips, and potatoes, with some chopped onions sprinkled on top. A plump goose cooked to perfection, drizzled in a sweet, yet savory, brown sauce. A stout, roasted pig with a bright red apple in its' mouth rested on an assortment of different vegetables. Smoked salmon resting on a bed of white rice and asparagus. Oysters and mussels, whose shells were opened, laid in a rather large bowl of ice, as a couple of lemon slices rested near the seafood. As mouthwatering as the whole meal was, Alice found it difficult for her to truly enjoy dinner. Especially not when a servant, who was bringing out the pig, caught her by surprise, making her drop her napkin. As the young lady reached down to retrieve her napkin, the gentleman by her side reached for it at the same time, causing their hands to accidentally brush against the other. As she embarrassedly looked up to thank him, his slight smirk caused her to unwillingly blush. For the most part, Alice was able to tune out what Shun and Klaus were discussing, as she had no interest in whatever business-related issues they were discussing and turned her attention to the food.

Everything went rather smoothly until dessert came. Dessert comprised of platters of different types of pies and tarts sat beautifully on the pastel-colored trays and chamomile tea was being served in a beautiful porcelain tea set. The redhead female finally tuned back into the two males' conversation when her husband moved on from business to more...personal matters.

"If I may ask, Mr. Kazami, are you still a bachelor?" Klaus asked as he sipped on his white wine and Alice nearly choked on the piece of strawberry lemonade tart that she was eating.

"I am." Was Shun's simple reply before he ate a piece of his slice of peach pie.

The von Hertzon male set down his wine glass. "I find that very hard to believe. Surely you must be courting a woman."

"I am not, Mr. von Hertzon." While the slight change in the raven-haired male's tone sounded as if he was slightly annoyed at the silver-haired male for questioning him about his love life, the redhead female felt her shoulders beginning to loosen up. So Shun wasn't with anyone-

"Oh? If you are interested, a long-time friend of mine, Julie Makimoto, is single herself. Perhaps you would like to meet her some time soon?" The young Mrs. von Hertzon stiffened at her husband's proposal, having forgotten about the silver-haired female's interest in the raven-haired male. The sudden image of an ecstatic Julie gushing about said stoic male had her gripping her tea cup harder than she normally would have, causing some of her fingers to turn white.

"That is very kind of you, Mr. von Hertzon, but I am not interested." Her childhood lover thanked her husband politely and Alice felt as if an enormous weight was lifted off of her chest and she was able to breathe once more.

"And why ever not? Is there another woman that caught your interest?" Klaus persisted with his questions.

Shun finished his slice of pie before he spoke. "I suppose you could say that. She has caught more than just my interest; she caught my heart and holds it still." At those words, Alice felt her heart beating undeniably fast and it felt as if her heart could pound its' way out of her chest if it continued on beating that fast and that hard.

"It sounds as if she is a very important person to you." The older male smiled politely.

"She is." Shun cracked a small smile, a real and genuine smile and it had been so long since she saw him smile that tears almost immediately start springing up.

"This mystery woman seems very wonderful, Mr. Kazami. I would suggest that you marry her as soon as possible."

"It seems as if I cannot, Mr. von Hertzon." His smile quickly vanished and his facade came back on.

"Oh? And why ever not?" The silver-haired male raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Time seemed to slow down as Shun's hazel eyes locked in with her own and the words that she dreaded to hear escaped his lips. "She is married to another man."

 **End of Chapter 4.**

 _Note: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Can you believe it? I haven't updated this story since last year! *insert fake, canny laugh* In all seriousness, though, I really haven't updated anything AT. ALL. I apologize for the lack of updates, since I would almost always *try* to update at least one story in the months of November and December, but I've been through a rather major life change that I'm focusing more on that than writing. Anyways, w_ _owee, Shun is **finally** in this chapter! Shun did indeed arrive at the von Hertzon manor for dinner and talk about **tension**! Klaus is honestly just super dense, so he doesn't catch onto the *subtle* hints about Shun and Alice. And wow, can we just talk about how freaking loyal Shun is to Alice? He hasn't even looked at another woman all those years and wasn't even interested in Julie when Klaus mentioned her during dinner-totally random but I just recently found out that the Shun x Julie ship existed...I'm not hating, but I feel so outdated that I didn't know about it! And how 'bout that 'cliff-hanger', huh? I know that it's not technically a 'cliff-hanger' but I honestly don't know what it is, so I guess I'll call it that. Please review your thoughts on this chapter and I'll try my best to update my other ongoing works as well! __v(｡･ω･｡)_


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